Sunny skies and warm weather resulted in robust Sea Bright summer

By KATHY CHANG
Staff Writer

SEA BRIGHT — Close to 70,000 people visited Sea Bright this summer.

“This has been a significant year for us,” said Councilman John Lamia, who chairs the beach committee, at a Borough Council meeting on Sept. 15.

Lamia reported the overall numbers collected during the summer beach season.

Some 69,379 beach badges were presented at borough beaches from Memorial Day through Labor Day weekend. Of those badges, 49,506 were daily badges, 2,000 senior badges and 414 military complementary badges.

Forty percent of the beach badges were presented at the North Beach; 35 percent were presented at the main beach; 12 percent at the lifeguard entrance, seven percent at Anchorage Beach, and six percent at Donovan’s Reef.

Lamia said the revenue that came into the borough this beach season far exceeded what was expected.

He said his tentative numbers show that beach badge sales, locker rentals, water sales and more generated approximately $600,000 in revenue.

“These are my numbers that I have tracked throughout the season,” he said.

The borough budgets $300,000 for the beach season. Lamia said the borough did not use the entire budget allocation and generated double the amount budgeted for the beach.

“Those funds are used for the ongoing maintenance including the raking of the beaches … not all of it goes to profit,” he said.

He said now the beach committee will come together to discuss how to make the 2016 beach season even better.

Lamia said the type of questions they will entertain includes this one: Can they spread their budget even thinner for next year than they did this year?

“We hope for an even better season next year and that people keep coming,” he said.

Lamia said Don Klein, beach operations manager, and his staff did an amazing job keeping a control on the beaches.

Councilman Charles Rooney III concurred, saying locals praised their work to get ready for beach season and visitors said the borough looks amazing.

“I am proud of the town and the level of work done by the police department and Office of Emergency Management,” he said.

Lamia said the number of visitors did bring issues such as limited parking and traffic congestion, which he said will have to be addressed prior to next season.

Rooney said that as of Sept. 15 the Sea Bright Police Department had fielded 5,700 calls for service. Some 1,151 parking violations were issued by the Sea Bright police with 570 tickets issued in July and 476 tickets issued in August.

There were 78 motor vehicle accidents reported in the borough — 25 in July and 21 in August, he said.

In August, the department also fielded 19 noise complaints.

Borough officials are currently in discussion to determine if privately owned parking lots that are not currently in use, as well as vacant lots throughout the borough, can be used as additional much-needed parking in the borough.